CNCTimes in conversation with, Mr Frederick Mason, Sr. V.P. Marketing, Quality Vision International INC

By Niraj M Wanikar, Chief Editor, CNCTimes.com, 2019-02-19 12:17:00

Mr Frederick Mason, Sr. V.P. Marketing, Quality Vision International INC, in conversation with Avinash Pandey, Assistant Editor, CNCTimes.com at the launch of their new technical centre in Pune.

Biography of Frederick G. Mason

Frederick Mason is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Quality Vision International Inc (QVI®) of Rochester, New York, USA. During eighteen years with the company, he has managed its internal marketing communications department and is now responsible for all corporate marketing, export compliance, and management of agreements with the corporation’s 80+ independent channel partners.

Fred’s entire career has been in precision metrology in a technician, product manager, and sales/marketing manager and executive positions. Many of those years involved international travel to establish or visit subsidiaries, visit customers and channel partners, and perform market research, during which time he has visited more than 30 countries, including India.

As a senior marketing executive for the corporation, he is leading its global rebranding effort, unifying its family of recognized metrology company brands as “QVI.”

Fred oversees the corporation’s “QVI India” operation that has offices in Bengaluru and Pune, with representatives countrywide.

Fred has a technical background in electronics, holography, interferometry, and metrology, and has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

At the outset, we would like to congratulate you on the new technology centre and thank you for speaking with us. We have a few questions for you.

Avinash:  What are your plans after opening this new facility?

Mr Frederick: The reason we opened this office is that we see opportunity in the Pune region. We started in Bengaluru and have been there for many years. Pune has grown a lot and is expected to become the next Bengaluru. There is a lot of investment and opportunity in Pune and incidentally, our M.D. is based out of Pune so that is quite convenient.

We plan to start with the heavy engineering belt in the South of India and then expand into the rest of the country. We plan to do it strategically and in phases.

Avinash: What would be QVI’s strategy considering there is a lot of competition and India being a price sensitive market?

Mr Frederick: Our policy will be similar to what we use when we enter new markets, even if they are not as price sensitive as India, which is promoting the value of the brand.

During IMTEX 2019, I noticed that there has been a marked increase in the quality of the finished products provided by the Indian manufacturers. This creates an opportunity for us when people appreciate the significance of quality and their customer's perception of their products and their willingness to pay more for them. We are counting on the growing middle class in India and the people with jobs who have the ability to buy more high scale things and appreciate what perhaps comes with the higher price point.

The initial entry for companies like us is going with multi-national customers that are already operating in India and with whom we are already doing business in other places. Everybody can see the opportunity in the Indian market and if we are able to leverage the success we have had in other places, it will be good.

We have introduced a few products that have been priced at lower price points exclusively for the Indian market, because of the sensitivity. It is not our desire to make these products as our dominant products, but we want to get people’s attention and do the brand building. We want everyone to know what QVI India represents and the whole breadth of our product line. The priority is to first enter the market and not be dismissed as an expensive foreign company.

Avinash: Do Indian customers need education on how a machine/technology works before they invest in it? Does QVI believe in educating its potential customers?

Mr Frederick: What you are asking about is part of our typical sales process. QVI has been in the business of video measuring systems for more than 30 years and we are one of the founders of that technology. In those days, the sales process was to convince people what this technology did and that it actually works.

Over time, technology has matured and there are more competitors, so customers assume that since there are so many sources and so many things available, this technology must work. It is no longer necessary for it to be a part of the sales process. However, if you are working with a start-up company who does not have that experience and exposure then that sales model needs to be applied.

We try to convince the customer that it is in his best interests to make sure that their quality is good, so they are successful with their business. You can have the best machine tools in the world with the latest technology in the world but if you don’t know if the part you are making matches with the design that your customers expect, you are at risk.

Avinash: What will be the USP of QVI?

Mr Frederick: We have always tried to distinguish ourselves by our technology leadership. We are the strongest in optical metrology specifically for metrology. We made optical comparators and the company will be 75 years old next year. Later we added the video measurement business and have been adding sensors and new technology so our systems do more than before.

We would like to be known as visionaries and even though a customer might not need our technology right now, they should know that we have that technology whenever they need it.

Avinash: What message would you like to give to your potential customers in western India?

Mr Frederick: We now have an office in this area and have demonstration equipment available at the tech centre. Customers can now bring a part with the drawing, get it tested on the machine and get a report before they purchase a QVI machine. Our aim is to understand what the customer is trying to accomplish. Our aim is not to sell you through a catalogue. We provide solutions as per our customers’ requirements.

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